Post-office box.



H. O. HAYWOOD.

POST OFFICE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 9, 1905.

- Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

Witnesses w wwg HENRY 0. HAYWOOD, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

POST-OFFICE BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. *7, 1909.

Application filed December 9, 1905. Serial No. 291,146.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. HAYWOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Savannah, in the county of Chatham and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Ofiice Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to post ofiice boxes; for use in handling mail in post oflices or like places; and it has for its object to so construct the same that it may be easily and cheaply manufactured, may be connected with and detached from pigeon holes with slight effort, and can be easily repaired and renewed, when necessary.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, and in the various details thereof, as will be first fully pointed out in the specification, and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like symbols of reference represent corresponding parts in the several views :Figure 1 is a view showing the device in its two positions, as applied to a filing case; and, Fig. 2 is a rear view of the device, Without the strap, detached from the box.

1 represents the table upon which the filing case stands; 2 the filing case; 3 an indicating and obstructing device applied to the filing case; 4 a metal plate or strap, forming a housing, for hinging the device to the filing case; and 5 a handle for manipulating the device. 5 is a weight on the handle to hold the device in its upright position.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the rear of the indicating and obstructing device, which is preferably metal, and has lateral and bottom wings or flanges 6, for the purpose of clasping the handle 5, extending from the pintle or arm, to the indicating and obstructing device; thus when the arm is received in the housing it forms a simple and easily constructed pintle or hinge. 20 on the indicating and obstructing device indicates the number of the carrier.

The device is intended more particularly for. registered mail, so that it can be seen at a glance whether or not there is any mail for the carrier to deliver. If there is no mail the indicating and obstructing device is placed in its operative or upright position, so that the word Empty on the same will disclose or show that there is no mail for the carrier. When there is any mail the same will readily appear, as the indicating and obstructing device will be down and the letters will be on the top of the same. When the indicating and obstructing device is in its upright position it also acts as a door to close the box. I may, if desired, have the handle weighted, as shown, so that the indicating and obstructing device will be normally held in its upright position; but so nicely adjusted that the weight of a letter would hold it down.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A post office box, a device obstructing access to the same, said device having means to indicate the condition of the box and the number of the carrier, a housing connected to the baseof the box, and an arm hinged in said housing and attached to said obstructing means.

2. A post ofiice box, an indicating device obstructing access to the same, a pintled hinge for attaching the same to the box, the pintle extending into a weighted handle adapted to hold said device elevated when the box is empty.

3. A post ofiice box, a plate hinged to the box and obstructing access to the same, said plate provided with bottom and lateral flanges, and a handle adapted to be held by said flanges, said handle provided with means for holding the plate elevated when the box is empty.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY O. HAYWOOD.

Witnesses:

HORACE RIVERS, G. D. BLOUNT. 

